Pandemic disruption and resilience: reflections on religious education in a small urban congregation

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of EPIC.

Rev. Miluska E. Silencio

In our church community, pre-pandemic, we had a small number of young children attending services. Our congregation was made up primarily of young adults, young professionals and married couples. We were part of the 12% of churches described as not having children’s programming due to limited numbers of children. We also fell within the percentage of churches that offered religious education before the pandemic but discontinued it during.

I strongly disagree, however, that our religious education did not suffer a major disruption. For context, our staff experienced significant burnout in the early months of the pandemic as we worked to pivot and find creative yet practical approaches to programming, calendar planning and consistency — all while identifying and nurturing key leaders who could help carry that effort forward.

With the help of volunteers, we launched online small groups, each centered around different themes. Over time, we recognized a deeper need for continued spiritual growth and training. As a discipleship pastor, I was able to adapt my in-person class for an online format, helping congregants explore Scripture, their spiritual gifts and a deeper understanding of themselves. It became a meaningful space for community as well. Our adult education expanded further as our staff team identified a growing need for resources around emotional health and spirituality.

Religious education and volunteers

I’m pleased to say we had a strong volunteer base willing to lead online small groups and, once the vaccine was available, help set up and break down for in-person services. We implemented a monthly rotation to prevent volunteer burnout. By fall 2021, however, we saw a decline in volunteers even as visitor numbers increased. A significant challenge during this period was our location — a small chapel that was difficult to find and lacked nearby restroom access. Given the limited space, we were unable to launch a children’s ministry, though we were actively developing a plan to rebuild.

I believe that had we secured a more suitable space sooner, our small number of children would have benefited from a Vacation Bible School program — virtual during the pandemic and in-person afterward. That said, I think we still would have faced the same challenges around scheduling and timing discussed in the study.

I appreciated learning about the adaptations described in the study, particularly examples of churches collaborating with one another to serve their communities. It was encouraging to see a focus on continued innovation in VBS and Sunday school programming, especially given widespread challenges with volunteer and participant numbers — both of which we experienced. I was glad to see the mention of “Sunday Funday” gatherings, as that mirrors an approach we also used: multigenerational meetups at the park featuring acoustic worship, with everyone encouraged to bring their own food. The turnout was strong, and we held the event several more times. We even noticed nearby passersby stopping to ask about our group.

I’m curious what churches in urban contexts found most effective in growing participation and developing materials for adults, youth and children — and how those practices might be adapted more broadly. A Zoom gathering of congregational leaders to share what worked could be a valuable networking opportunity and a source of new tools for future innovation. Another worthwhile follow-up would be a study focused specifically on churches that maintained or strengthened their religious education efforts through and after the pandemic, documenting the practices that helped them thrive.

Rev. Miluska E. Silencio has been an active youth minister in her NYC community since 2005, aiding immigrant families as a pastor in various church plants along with being an activist outside of church walls, bridging faith and justice with her formerly undocumented immigrant story. Her roots are as Afro-Peruvian and indigenous from her father and through her mother’s side Italian, she is in a journey of discovering her heritage and takes joy in doing so being part of the Indigenous Ministers Association as vice president. She is currently an Evangelical Covenant Church licensed clergy member serving as a coach to pastors, church planters and future women pastors; along with being an Assistant Site Director for Immigrant Connection NYC. She earned her bachelor’s from CUNY Hunter College as a double major of psychology and religion, has a seminary degree, MPS, from Alliance University and is pursuing her Doctor of Ministry in Urban Ministry at Fuller Seminary. She has worked in higher education administration at Hunter College, served as an enrollment manager, faculty, and youth seminary coordinator for City Seminary of New York (CSNY). As part of CSNY, she was a researcher with Dr. Maria Liu Wong & Dr. Geomon George on “Engaging the Present and Envisioning the Future: Leadership Development in an Urban Youth Seminary.” As a writer, she contributed her story Restaurando Esperanza in “Keeping the Faith: Reflections on Politics & Christianity in the Era of Trump & Beyond.” Rev. Silencio is married to Josh, a hearty bicycle mechanic, and they have one son named Benjamin. In her free time, she can be found catching up on Netflix shows with her hubby, enjoying her kids smiles, and having piña colada cheers with friends. She is married to Josh, a hearty bicycle mechanic, and they have two kids under 2 years old.